Tag: Joe Mixon injury

Texans: Joe Mixon will start at RB, but who is the No. 2 option?

With just one preseason game remaining, the role of RB No. 2 in the Houston Texans’ backfield might be a five-person race.

When the Houston Texans traded a seventh-round pick to acquire Joe Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals, it was clear he’d take over for Devin Singletary as the new lead running back.

When Houston inked him to a new three-year extension worth $27 million, it was a sign he’d be the bell-cow back for years to come next to Pro Bowl quarterback C.J Stroud.

That hasn’t changed even with Mixon sidelined for most of training camp. He’s back at practice and will trot out with the first-teamers come Week 1 in Indianapolis against the Colts.

The No. 2 role, however? That battle comes down to this week’s practice and final preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

It won’t be an easy decision, either.

“It’s still a tight competition there in the running back room,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said following Saturday’s 28-10 win over the New York Giants. “We’re excited to see more, continue to see these guys next week.”

Dameon Pierce, Cam Akers, Dare Ogunbowale, J.J. Taylor and Jawhar Jordan are competing for the final three spots, each providing some value behind a couple of carries. And yes, the preseason won’t tell the entire story of how one fits with the roster.

Pierce, who nearly rushed for 1,000 yards in 2022, has offered little on gamedays, averaging 1.1 yards per run on nine carries. He’s looked polished in practice reps and shown explosivity when working behind Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

Tunsil didn’t play in Saturday’s preseason home opener for precautionary reasons after returning to practice for the first time since offseason workouts. Second-round pick Blake Fisher looked like a rookie facing a New York front that features three Pro Bowl talents.

The run blocking has been insufficient at best without the four-time Pro Bow blindside blocker opening lanes on the left side.

But is that a good enough excuse? Multiple other runners have found creases and crevices to break through for yards after contact, albeit against presumed backups.

Could they do it against starters?

“We can’t evaluate guys who aren’t out there,” Ryans said when asked about the limited success on the ground. “But overall, the way our offensive line ran off the ball, the way they moved people and created lanes for our backs, like you run the ball as a team.”

Akers has been a preseason constant, totaling 41 and 31 yards in his first two games back from injury. On Saturday, he put together his most consistent performance, averaging a team-high 4.8 yards per run with a long of 14.

Health has been the main concern for the former second-round pick. In four seasons, Akers has torn both his Achilles tendons and missed over 20 games due to injury, but he understands and fits in Bobby Slowik’s offense.

“His foundational work, I think, has been great in this offense, he’s been in this type of style,” Stroud said. “He’s going to continue to do great, and I’m really loving his game and how patient he is, but he hits the hole at the same time.”

Ogunbowale has been a special teams standout and reliable No. 3 option. He’s a favorite of the coaching staff because of his willingness to do everything.

Maybe Jordan offers a similar role but on an expanded contract? The sixth-round pick finished with 58 total yards, 42 of which came through the air during Saturday’s win while also seeing action on kickoff and the return game.

And Taylor, a favorite to make the practice squad if cut, showed his straight-line speed with a pair of first-down runs, including an 18-yard scamper in the third quarter.

Starters likely won’t see much action on Saturday, but Pierce must deliver. The same goes for Akers and Ogunbowale since Jordan and Taylor won’t go down without a fight.

A combination of inadequate blocking plus limited reps with the starting five has hindered the ground game’s growth. It’s better than what’s been produced and the drop-off from No. 2 to No. 5 is minimal at best.

With three practices left, that’s neither positive nor negative. It’s simply progress.

Texans vs. Giants: Pro Bowl RB Joe Mixon not expected to play

The Houston Texans will have to wait another week before debuting Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon.

As the Houston Texans prepare to take on the New York Giants, one part of their offense won’t take the field.

Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon will not suit up for the noon kickoff in the preseason home opener. During warm-up drills, Mixon was seen in street clothes next to the rest of the running backs.

Mixon, who signed a three-year, $27 million extension after being traded from Cincinnati earlier this offseason, has been dealing with a calf injury since the start of training camp. He didn’t practice for two weeks and did not play along with other starters in Houston’s 20-12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He returned on Sunday and went through drills throughout the week, so perhaps this is more of a precautionary move for the team to protect its top tailback.

Practicing, even at a limited capacity, is a sign that Mixon should be clear for the Week 1 opener against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans need the four-time 1,000-yard rusher if they plan on improving off their 23rd-ranked ground game from last season.

Mixon, a 2017 second-round pick out of Oklahoma, has been the definition of consistency over the past seven years. Over his past four seasons, Mixon has averaged 219 carries and 41 receptions per campaign.

“Joe is solid, he’s an all-around back. When it comes to blocking, catching, running the football, Joe is all-around,” Ryans said Thursday. “He’s a strong, physical player. That allows him to do really well in pass protection. You can ask a lot of him in pass protection, he matches up well vs. any blitzers whether it’s linebackers or secondary defenders.”

With Mixon out, the Texans will turn once again to Dameon Pierce and Cam Akers as the lead backs. Through two preseason games, the duo has combined for 34 yards on 14 carries.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans addresses early run game woes in preseason

The Texan’s run game remains the one eye-sore on a roster capable of being a legitimate offensive juggernaut entering 2024.

The addition of Joe Mixon was meant to fix the Houston Texans’ lackluster run game entering 2024.

Through two preseason matchups, woeful might be the best word to describe the AFC South’s ground game with Mixon sidelined.

While the Texans planned on utilizing Mixon as the lead workhorse back this fall, it’s best to use the preseason as a litmus test for depth purposes. So far, Houston’s totaled 134 yards on 43 carries in two contests.

Dameon Pierce has four yards on four carries. Cam Akers has 30 on 11.

DeMeco Ryans knows that while Mixon is the leading man, a team can only win if others are carrying their weight. The inability to win past the line of scrimmage doesn’t just fall on the running backs, but also the offensive line.

“We have to finish better on the front side to get the runs going,” Ryans said Sunday following practice. “I think a lot of our runs got stalled because we had guys penetrating in the backfield and guys shooting gaps. We have to respond better to movement to get our run game going.”

Mixon, who missed two weeks with a quad injury, returned to the huddle and was limited in front of fans on Saturday. The four-time 1,000-yard runner plans to be a missing element on the ground for the next several seasons after signing a three-year extension following a trade from Cincinnati this offseason.

While Mixon’s return was welcomed, so was Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil. The franchise left tackle had been sidelined since February after undergoing a knee procedure following the regular season.

Having Mixon and Tunsil back working with starters should stabilize everyone’s role, but it doesn’t change the issues of trusting the run. Houston ranked 23rd overall last season on the ground and hasn’t produced a 1,000-yard rusher since 2019.

The Texans take on the New York Giants this Saturday at noon CT.

Texans RB Joe Mixon returns to practice heading into preseason game against Giants

The Texans are getting healthy at the right time with the return of Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon.

The Houston Texans are getting a bit more to return to their backfield heading into their third preseason game.

Running back Joe Mixon returned to practice Sunday evening for the first time in two weeks. Mixon, the expected primary starter, hasn’t been dealing with a lower-body injury that’s sidelined him from running drills.

Before leaving for the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, Mixon looked to be on the rebound. While he wasn’t practicing next to Dameon Pierce, Jawhar Jordan and others, he stood next to running backs coach Danny Barrett during drills.

The Texans chose not to play Mixon in either of their previous two preseason games away from NRG Stadium and could elect to rest Mixon to have him fully healthy for the Week 1 opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

Houston plans for Mixon to be a centerpiece of the offense, given his experience and consistency. He’s coming off his fourth 1,000-yard season with the Cincinnati Bengals and has averaged 4.3 yards per run over the past six seasons.

The Texans’ run game was abysmal last season behind Devin Singletary and a regressed Pierce, hence why they traded a late-round pick to Cincinnati to land him before being released.

The AFC South champs also have invested in Mixon as a focal point of the offense beyond 2024, extending his contract by three years on a new deal worth $27 million.

So far, Houston hasn’t been able to get much going on the ground without the former Pro Bowl runner. Pierce totaled four yards on four carries in Friday’s 20-12 win over the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. No player with multiple carries averaged more than 3.9 yards per attempt.

Mixon, who’s averaged roughly 19 touches per game, will look to become the first Texans tailback since Carlos Hyde in 2019 to finish with 1,000 yards on the ground.

He also plans to factor in as a security blanket for C.J. Stroud on passing downs.

“He would love to be used as a passing threat,” Slowik said earlier this preseason. “He would love to be a protector. He would love when he carries the rock. He loves when he’s a decoy. I mean, he just loves all of it. He’s been an absolute joy in every regard to coach. He’s a really fun personality.”

Mixon could make his Texans debut on Saturday against the New York Giants in the home preseason opener. Kickoff from NRG Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.

Texans training camp: DeMeco Ryans provides update on RB Joe Mixon

Running back Joe Mixon should be cleared in the coming day, but don’t expect to see him at Houston Texans practice on Tuesday in front of the public.

The Houston Texans will take the field on Tuesday morning in front of hundreds of fans for their first padded training camp practice.

Fans should be excited to see a crop of new faces joining the AFC South champions, including rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, All-Pro defensive end Danielle Hunter and Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs.

One newcomer, however, likely won’t be participating in drills in front of the H-Town faithful.

Running back Joe Mixon is expected to “miss a little time,” according to Texans coach DeMeco Ryans for an undisclosed reason. Mixon, whom the Texans traded for this offseason from Cincinnati, previously missed the last two practices.

While the life of a running back can be short-lived, Mixon’s time away from the field is expected to be minimal at best. Ryans said it’s nothing to worry about moving into the middle of the week and there’s no reason to be overly concerned.

“Joe is one of the toughest competitors we have,” Ryans said Monday. “I’m not worried about Joe. He’ll be fine. No issues there.”

Houston believes Mixon still has plenty left in the tank after acquiring him for a seventh-round pick earlier this offseason. Mixon, who turns 28 later this month, also should be here for the long haul after signing a three-year extension worth $27 million shortly after arriving in March.

Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik mentioned his enjoyment coaching Mixon given his personality, but also his versatility. Not only does the four-time 1,000-yard runner offer value on the ground, but he also serves as a multi-purpose security blanket for quarterbacks in the passing game.

“He loves football. He does not stop wanting to learn, wanting to grow, which, again, just fits in with everyone else that we have,” Slowik said. “And he’s all in on he’s going to do whatever it takes to win.”

Drafted out of Oklahoma in 2017, Mixon ranks seventh among active running backs with 283 receptions. He also ranks third in carries, fourth in rushing yards and seventh in rushing touchdowns.

When looking at consistency, few have been up to the 2021 Pro Bowler’s level. Over his final three seasons with the Bengals, he averaged 253 carries and 4.1 yards per attempt.

That amount of work could lead to injury concerns, but the Texans plan on using Mixon to that level in the regular season. He’s not complaining about being the workhorse back, either.

“I feel very confident in the role that I’ll have in this offense,” Mixon said on Friday. “I’m going to embrace everything that comes with it. Like I said, I did all the work in the offseason so for come season, that’s when I know it’ll pay off.”